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Bekenntnisse
21. Was Augustinus in der Heiligen Schrift gefunden.
Mit größter Begierde griff ich also nach den ehrwürdigen Schriften deines Geistes und vor allem nach dem Apostel Paulus; da lösten sich all die Fragen, in welchen ich einstens gemeint, er widerspreche sich selbst und seine Ausführungen stünden mit den Zeugnissen des Gesetzes und der Propheten nicht im Einklang. Von einem und demselben Geist getragen erschienen mir seine keuschen Aussprüche, und ich lernte „frohlocken mit Zittern“1. Und ich begann zu lesen und fand, daß alles, was ich in den Schriften der Platoniker Wahres gelesen hatte, auch hier, doch als Gnadengabe von dir gesagt werde, damit, wer da sieht, nicht „sich rühme, als habe er nicht empfangen“2, nicht nur, was er sieht, sondern auch daß er sieht. Denn „was besitzt er, was er nicht empfangen hatte?“3 Und nicht nur wird er ermahnt, auf dich, den in Ewigkeit Bestehenden, hinzusehen, sondern auch geheilt, um dich festhalten zu können. Und wer zu weit entfernt ist, um dich sehen zu können, wandle dennoch diesen Weg, auf welchem er zu dir kommen, dich sehen und festhalten kann. Denn wenn auch jemand seine Freude hat "nach dem inneren Menschen an dem Gesetze Gottes4, was wird er beginnen „mit jenem anderen Gesetze in seinen Gliedern, das dem Gesetze seines Geistes widerstreitet und ihn im Gesetze der Sünde, das in seinen Gliedern wohnt, gefangen hält?“5 „Denn du S. 157 bist gerecht“6, o Herr, wir aber „haben gesündigt und Unrecht getan“7 und gottlos gehandelt; „schwer lag deine Hand auf uns“8 und mit Recht sind wir dem alten Sünder, dem Fürsten des Todes, übergeben worden, der da unseren Willen überredet hat, dem seinen ähnlich zu werden, mit dem „er in deiner Wahrheit nicht bestanden hat“9. Was soll da „der elende Mensch“10 tun? „Wer wird ihn befreien vom Leibe dieses Todes, wenn nicht deine Gnade durch Jesus Christus, unseren Herrn“11, den du von Ewigkeit her mit dir erzeugt und erschaffen hast "im Anbeginn deiner Wege"?12 An ihm fand „der Fürst dieser Welt“13 nichts Todeswürdiges, und trotzdem hat er ihn getötet; und „ausgelöscht ist dadurch die Handschrift, die gegen uns Zeugnis gab“14. Das steht in jenen Büchern nicht. Auf ihren Seiten stehen nicht die Züge jener Frömmigkeit, die Tränen dieses Bekenntnisses, nichts vom „Opfer eines betrübten Geistes, eines zerknirschten und gedemütigten Herzens“15, nichts von der Erlösung des Volkes, nichts „von deiner Braut, der Stadt Gottes“16, nichts „vom Unterpfand des Heiligen Geistes“17, vom Becher unseres Heiles. Niemand singt dort: „Wird nicht meine Seele sich Gott anheimgeben, da mir von ihm Heil kommt? Er ist mein Gott und mein Heil, mein Helfer; ich werde nicht mehr wanken“18. Niemand hört dort die Stimme des Rufenden: „Kommet zu mir, die ihr mühselig seid“19. Sie verschmähen es, von ihm zu lernen, „der da sanftmütig und demütig ist von Herzen“20. Denn „du hast dies den Weisen und Klugen kundgetan und es den Unmündigen offenbart“21. Und etwas anderes ist es, von waldiger Höhe die Heimat des Friedens zu sehen, aber den Weg zu ihr nicht zu finden und vergeblich auf unwegsamen Pfaden sich abzumühen, S. 158 wo Flüchtlinge und Überläufer mit ihren Anführern, dem Löwen und Drachen, lauern und drohen - und wieder etwas anderes, den Weg einzuhalten, der dorthin führt und durch die Sorgfalt des himmlischen Königs beschützt ist, wo keine Räuber lagern, die die himmlische Heerschar verlassen haben. Das alles drang mir auf wunderbare Weise ins Herz, als ich den geringsten deiner Apostel las. Ich betrachtete deine Werke, und heiliger Schauer ergriff mich. S. 159
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The Confessions of St. Augustin In Thirteen Books
Chapter XXI.--What He Found in the Sacred Books Which are Not to Be Found in Plato.
27. Most eagerly, then, did I seize that venerable writing of Thy Spirit, but more especally the Apostle Paul; 1 and those difficulties vanished away, in which he at one time appeared to me to contradict himself, and the text of his discourse not to agree with the testimonies of the Law and the Prophets. And the face of that pure speech appeared to me one and the same; and I learned to "rejoice with trembling." 2 So I commenced, and found that whatsoever truth I had there read was declared here with the recommendation of Thy grace; that he who sees may not so glory as if he had not received 3 not only that which he sees, but also that he can see (for what hath he which he hath not received?); and that he may not only be admonished to see Thee, who art ever the same, but also may be healed, to hold Thee; and that he who from afar off is not able to see, may still walk on the way by which he may reach, behold, and possess Thee. For though a man "delight in the law of God after the inward man," 4 what shall he do with that other law in his members which warreth against the law of his mind, and bringeth him into captivity to the law of sin, which is in his members? 5 For Thou art righteous, O Lord, but we have sinned and committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, 6 and Thy hand is grown heavy upon us, and we are justly delivered over unto that ancient sinner, the governor of death; for he induced our will to be like his will, whereby he remained not in Thy truth. What shall "wretched man" do? "Who shall deliver him from the body of this death," but Thy grace only, "through Jesus Christ our Lord,'" 7 whom Thou hast begotten co-eternal, and createdst 8 in the beginning of Thy ways, in whom the Prince of this world found nothing worthy of death, 9 yet killed he Him, and the handwriting which was contrary to us was blotted out? 10 This those writings contain not. Those pages contain not the expression of this piety,--the tears of confession, Thy sacrifice, a troubled spirit, "a broken and a contrite heart," 11 the salvation of the people, the espoused city, 12 the earnest of the Holy Ghost, 13 the cup of our redemption. 14 No man sings there, Shall not my soul be subject unto God? For of Him cometh my salvation, for He is my God and my salvation, my defender, I shall not be further moved. 15 No one there hears Him calling, "Come unto me all ye that labour." They scorn to learn of Him, because He is meek and lowly of heart; 16 for "Thou hast hid those things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." 17 For it is one thing, from the mountain's wooded summit to see the land of peace, 18 and not to find the way thither,--in vain to attempt impassable ways, opposed and waylaid by fugitives and deserters, under their captain the "lion" 19 and the "dragon;" 20 and another to keep to the way that leads thither, guarded by the host of the heavenly general, where they rob not who have deserted the heavenly army, which they shun as torture. These things did in a wonderful manner sink into my bowels, when I read that "least of Thy apostles," 21 and had reflected upon Thy works, and feared greatly.
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Literally, "The venerable pen of Thy Spirit (Logos); words which would seem to imply a belief on Augustin's part in a verbal inspiration of Scripture. That he gave Scripture the highest honour as God's inspired word is clear not only from this, but other passages in his works. It is equally clear, however, that he gave full recognition to the human element in the word. See De Cons. Evang. ii. 12, where both these aspects are plainly discoverable. Compare also ibid. c. 24. ↩
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Ps. ii. 11. ↩
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l Cor. iv. 7. ↩
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Rom. vii. 22. ↩
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Ibid. ver. 23. ↩
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Song of the Three Children, 4 sq. ↩
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Rom. vii. 24, 25. ↩
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Prov. viii. 22, as quoted from the old Italic version. It must not be understood to teach that the Lord is a creature. (1) Augustin, as indeed is implied in the Confessions above, understands the passage of the incarnation of Christ, and in his De Doct. Christ. i. 38, he distinctly so applies it: "For Christ...desiring to be Himself the Way to those who are just setting out, determined to take a fleshly body. Whence also that expression, The Lord created me in the beginning of his Way,'--that is, that those who wish to come might begin their journey in Him." Again, in a remarkable passage in his De Trin. i. 24, he makes a similar application of the words: "According to the form of a servant, it is said, The Lord created me in the beginning of His ways.' Because, according to the form of God, he said, I am the Truth;' and, according to the form of a servant, I am the Way.'" (2) Again, creasti is from the LXX. ektise, which is that version's rendering in this verse of the Hebrew qnny. The Vulgate, more correctly translating from the Hebrew, gives possedit, thus corresponding to our English version, "The Lord possessed me," etc. The LXX. would appear to have made an erroneous rendering here, for ktizo is generally in that version the equivalent for vr', "to create," while qgh is usually rendered by ktaomai, "to possess," "to acquire." It is true that Gesenius supposes that in a few passages, and Prov. viii. 22 among them, qnh should be rendered "to create;" but these very passages our authorized version renders "to get," or "to possess;" and, as Dr. Tregelles observes, referring to M'Call on the Divine Sonship, "in all passages cited for that sense, to possess' appears to be the true meaning." ↩
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John xviii. 38. ↩
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Col. ii. 14. ↩
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Ps. li. 17. ↩
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Rev. xxi. 2. ↩
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2 Cor. v. 5. ↩
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Ps. cxvi. 13. ↩
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Ps. lxii. 1, 2. ↩
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Matt. xi. 28, 29. ↩
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Matt. xi. 25. ↩
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Deut. xxxii. 49. ↩
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1 Pet. v. 8. ↩
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Rev. xii. 3. ↩
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1 Cor. xv. 9. In giving an account, remarks Pusey, of this period to his friend and patron Romanianus, St. Augustin seems to have blended together this and the history of his completed conversion, which was also wrought in connection with words in the same apostle, but the account of which he uniformly suppresses, for fear, probably, of injuring the individual to whom he was writing (see on book ix. sec. 4, note, below). "Since that vehement flame which was about to seize me as yet was not, I thought that by which I was slowly kindled was the very greatest. When lo! certain books, when they had distilled a very few drops of most precious unguent on that tiny flame, it is past belief, Romanianus, past belief, and perhaps past what even you believe of me (and what could I say more?), nay, to myself also is it past belief, what a conflagration of myself they lighted. What ambition, what human show, what empty love of fame, or, lastly, what incitement or band of this mortal life could hold me then? I turned speedily and wholly back into myself. I cast but a glance, I confess, as one passing on, upon that religion which was implanted into us as boys, and interwoven with our very inmost selves; but she drew me unknowing to herself. So then, stumbling, hurrying, hesitating, I seized the Apostle Paul; for never,' said I, could they have wrought such things, or lived as it is plain they did live, if their writings and arguments were opposed to this so high good.' I read the whole most intently and carefully. But then, never so little light having been shed thereon, such a countenance of wisdom gleamed upon me, that if I could exhibit it--I say not to you, who ever hungeredst after her, though unknown--but to your very adversary (see book vi. sec. 24, note, above), casting aside and abandoning whatever now stimulates him so keenly to whatsoever pleasures, he would, amazed, panting, enkindled, fly to her Beauty" (Con. Acad. ii. 5). ↩